Machines for processing plate elements between an upper and lower platen are known in the printing and packaging industry. US 2011/0286820 describes for example a cutting machine including a station for cutting plate elements with a cutting die. To obtain a quality cut, positioning of the plate element in the cutting station is crucial. U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,075 further describes a control mechanism for driving a movable lower platen in a platen press towards a fixed upper platen, the sheet materials being fed between them.
When a sheet material or plate element is to be cut between a lower and upper platen, it is crucial that the cutting die cuts through the sheet material or plate element over the whole length of the cutting die. A problem in above discussed systems is that the movement of the platen generates condensation of humidity in the air causing corrosion of the metal parts in the platen. The imperfections or uneven spots are causing problems for the quality of cutting because the cutting die is no longer cutting through the plate element over the whole length of the cutting die.
To resolve the quality issue, corrosion has to be removed as much as possible or corrections have to be made to the platens such that these imperfections or uneven spots are compensated. Therefore, corrosion over time affects the time needed to make a machine operational because additional set-up time is required. Further, cleaning the platen is very difficult and time consuming because the platens have large dimensions and the distance between the platens is relatively small.